September 16 – November 19, 2016
The Greater Reston Arts Center is proud to present Synthetic Transformations, a dynamic gallery experience by multi-media artist and 2014 TED Talk Fellow Shih Chieh Huang, sponsored by Leidos and the Arts Council of Fairfax County. From September 16 through November 16, 2016, Huang will present an installation featuring interactive elements created from a variety of media including LED lights, motion sensors, computer parts, screens, and mundane materials such as plastic bags and Tupperware. With these humble components, Huang creates magical, immersive environments, featuring sculptures that respond to the viewer’s presence with movement, sound, and illumination. Inspired in part by phosphorescent deep-sea creatures, Huang’s work is a fascinating blend of art, science, and technology.
Taiwan-born artist Shih Chieh Huang is well known for his innovative sculptural installations, which blend adaptive technologies with aesthetic and scientific concerns to create work that is multi-sensory and interactive. The artist’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions both nationally, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and internationally, in Australia, Asia and Europe. Huang is also a former Smithsonian research fellow. Huang’s work will be installed at the Greater Reston Arts Center at the Reston Town Center, which will be transformed into a “black box” setting to accommodate his site-specific installation.
Exhibition curator, Holly Koons McCullough, observes, “Shih Chieh’s work is an excellent fit for the Greater Reston Arts Center, which is situated within a recognized technology corridor. This exhibition establishes relevant and enlightening connections between art and technology. Perhaps more importantly, it inspires wonder and sparks the imagination, delighting the viewer with the artist’s ability to transform the mundane and utilitarian into the magical.”
GRACE Board Chair Robert Goudie adds, “We are thrilled to have generous support for this project from the Arts Council of Fairfax County and Leidos, who have recognized the power of Shih Chieh’s work. Following on the success of our Patrick Dougherty installation, which has been visited by tens of thousands of people, this is another example of our determination to invest in artists with international reputations to further build out the cultural proposition that will make our center and Reston an even more powerful destination experience.”
The President and CEO or the Arts Council of Fairfax County, Linda Sullivan, added “The Arts Council of Fairfax County is pleased to support this outstanding exhibition, in furtherance of the Destination GRACE vision. The artist’s work was found to be exceptional by our professional panel review process, and in keeping with GRACE’s very high standards of exhibition programming.“ Melissa Koskovich, senior vice president of Communications and Marketing at Leidos, said: “Obviously the convergence of technology and art and Shih Chieh’s international recognition attracted us to this special project. Investing in the communities where we work is part of our ethos, and we are proud and pleased to be joining with GRACE and the Arts Council of Fairfax County to bring this uniquely talented artist to the region.”
The Greater Reston Arts Center is dedicated to enriching community life by promoting involvement and excellence in the contemporary visual arts. Its gallery showcases exceptional emerging and established artists from the mid-Atlantic region and beyond; its GRACE Art program delivers art enrichment experiences in over 40 schools regionally, impacting over 20,000 students; and its annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is among the top such events in the country. The Greater Reston Arts Center is always free and open to the public.
For more information please contact info@restonarts.org or (703) 471-9242.
